Ejection control of quality-enhancing ink

Abstract

This invention is a printing control method of generating print data to be supplied to a print unit which is capable of forming dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material. The printing control method comprises a color conversion step of converting pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit and a gradation-reduction step of generating at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method. The gradation-reduction step includes a step of generating the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value which has a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink.

1. A printing control method of generating print data to be supplied to a print unit to print, the print unit capable of forming dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material, the printing control method comprising:
 (a) a color conversion step of converting pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit; and 
 (b) a gradation-reduction step of generating at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method, according to the generated multiple gradation data of each ink by the color conversion, the colored dot data representing formation status of colored dots formed with the colored ink on each of printing pixels, the transparent dot data representing formation status of transparent dots formed with the quality-enhancing ink on each printing pixel; wherein 
 the gradation-reduction step includes a step of generating the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value, the quality-enhancing ink threshold value having a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink, and the quality-enhancing ink threshold value being a value stored in an element arranged in a position shifted for at least one of row and column in relation to an element used for generating the specific colored dot data within the specific dither matrix. 
 
   
   
     2. The printing control method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein
 the quality-enhancing ink threshold value is the same value as the threshold value used for generating the specific colored dot data. 
 
   
   
     3. The printing control method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein
 the quality-enhancing ink threshold value is a value generated by subtracting the threshold value used for generating the specific colored dot data from a specified value. 
 
   
   
     4. The printing control method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein
 the printing control method is equipped with a first printing mode and a second printing mode, 
 the first printing mode is a printing mode for which the quality-enhancing ink threshold value is the same value as the threshold value used for generating the specific colored dot data, and 
 the second printing mode is a printing mode for which the quality-enhancing ink threshold value is a value generated by subtracting the threshold value used for generating the specific colored dot data from the specified value. 
 
   
   
     5. The printing control method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein
 the quality-enhancing ink threshold value is a value stored in a different element from the element used for generating the specific colored dot data for the same pixel within the specific dither matrix. 
 
   
   
     6. A printing method of printing by ejecting inks to form dots on a printing medium, the printing method comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a print unit capable of forming dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material; 
 (b) converting pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit; 
 (c) generating at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method, according to the generated multiple gradation data of each ink by the color conversion, the colored dot data representing formation status of colored dots formed with the colored ink on each of printing pixels, the transparent dot data representing formation status of transparent dots formed with the quality-enhancing ink on each printing pixel; and 
 (d) controlling the print unit to form dots on the print medium by ejecting the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink in response to the colored dot data and the transparent dot data, wherein 
 the step (c) includes a step of generating the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value, the quality-enhancing ink threshold value having a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink, and the quality-enhancing ink threshold value being a value stored in an element arranged in a position shifted for at least one of row and column in relation to an element used for generating the specific colored dot data within the specific dither matrix. 
 
   
   
     7. A printing control apparatus for generating print data to be supplied to a print unit to print, the print unit capable of forming dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material, the printing control apparatus comprising:
 a color converter configured to convert pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit; and 
 a gradation-reduction module configured to generate at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method, according to the generated multiple gradation data of each ink by the color conversion, the colored dot data representing formation status of colored dots formed with the colored ink on each of printing pixels, the transparent dot data representing formation status of transparent dots formed with the quality-enhancing ink on each printing pixel, wherein 
 the gradation-reduction module is configured to generate the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value, the quality-enhancing ink threshold value having a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink, and the quality-enhancing ink threshold value being a value stored in an element arranged in a position shifted for at least one of row and column in relation to an element used for aenerating the specific colored dot data within the specific dither matrix. 
 
   
   
     8. A printing apparatus for printing by forming dots on a printing medium, the printing apparatus comprising:
 a print unit capable of forming the dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material; 
 a color converter configured to convert pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit; and 
 a gradation-reduction module configured to generate at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method, according to the generated multiple gradation data of each ink by the color conversion, the colored dot data representing formation status of colored dots formed with the colored ink on each of printing pixels, the transparent dot data representing formation status of transparent dots formed with the quality-enhancing ink on each printing pixel; wherein 
 the gradation-reduction module is configured to generate the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value, the quality-enhancing ink threshold value having a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink, and the quality-enhancing ink threshold value being a value stored in an element arranged in a position shifted for at least one of row and column in relation to an element used for generating the specific colored dot data within the specific dither matrix. 
 
   
   
     9. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer proaram causing a computer to generate print data to be supplied to a print unit to print, the print unit capable of forming dots on a print medium by ejecting at least one type of colored ink containing a color material and a quality-enhancing ink for enhancing quality of a printed material, the computer program comprising:
 a first program for causing the computer to convert pixel values into multiple gradation data of each ink, the pixel values representing color of each pixel of given image data, the multiple gradation data of each ink expressing the color of the pixel by using the colored ink and the quality-enhancing ink available in the print unit; and 
 a second program for causing the computer to generate at least part of colored dot data and transparent dot data by ordered dither method, according to the generated multiple gradation data of each ink by the color conversion, the colored dot data representing formation status of colored dots formed with the colored ink on each of printing pixels, the transparent dot data representing formation status of transparent dots formed with the quality-enhancing ink on each printing pixel; wherein 
 the second program includes a program for causing the computer to generate the transparent dot data in succession with specific colored dot data using a quality-enhancing ink threshold value, the quality-enhancing ink threshold value having a value generated according to a value read from a specific dither matrix used for generating the specific colored dot data for a specific colored ink, and the quality-enhancing ink threshold value being a value stored in an element arranged in a position shifted for at least one of row and column in relation to an element used for generating the specific colored dot data within the specific dither matrix.